Data / Federal rules / 2024-28931

Modification of the Duration of Certain Permits and Letters of Confirmation Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published this final rule in the Federal Register on December 12, 2024. It took effect on January 13, 2025.

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What the agency says

NMFS hereby modifies the regulations for Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) section 104 permits, including scientific research, enhancement, photography, and public display permits and Letters of Confirmation (LOCs) under the General Authorization. The modification removes the 5-year regulatory limitation on the duration of section 104 permits and LOCs. This change gives NMFS the discretion to issue these permits for longer than 5 years, if such a duration is appropriate. This rule applies only to permits and LOCs issued under section 104 of the MMPA.

Key facts

Document number: 2024-28931
Type: Final rule
Action: Final rule
Agency: Commerce Department; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Published: December 12, 2024
Takes effect: January 13, 2025
Dates: This rule is effective on January 13, 2025.
Docket: Docket No. 241126-0301
Regulation ID (RIN): 0648-BK65
Code of Federal Regulations: 50 CFR 216
Topics: Administrative practice and procedure; Exports; Imports; Marine mammals
Pages: 10

The document on federalregister.gov PDF

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Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.